Wrap-around garment

ABSTRACT

A wrap-around garment includes an elongated strip of pliable material which has an aperture therein intermediate the ends thereof, with one end portion extending through the aperture and being secured outwardly thereof. The intermediate portion of the strip is adapted to encircle the body of a wearer, and adjustable means is provided adjacent the aperture to vary its effective size.

United States Patent Levy 1451 Dec. 5, 1972 154] WRAP-AROUND GARMENT [72] Inventor: Bernard Levy, 91 Chatham Road,

Kensington, Conn. 06037 [22] Filed: Nov. 20, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 91,433

[52] US. Cl ..2/67, 2/69 [51] Int. Cl. ..A41d 7/00, A4ld 15/00 [58] Fieldof Search ..2/69, 69.5, 67, 207, 91, 211

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,151,126 8/1915 Robinson ..1.2/2o7 x 3,013,224 12/1961 Dike ..2/69 3,381,306 5/1968 lnnes ..2/69 2,420,344 5/ 1947 Alexander ..2/69

1,497,685 6/1924 Hoyme ..2/69 3,571,810 3/1971 Swett 3,587,] 14 6/l97l McCourtie ..2/207 Primary Examiner-H. Hampton Hunter Attorney-Peter L. Costas [57] ABSTRACT A wrap-around garment includes an elongated strip of pliable material which has an aperture therein intermediate the ends thereof, with one end portion extending through the aperture and being secured outwardly thereof. The intermediate portion of the strip is adapted to encircle the body of a wearer, and adjustable means is provided adjacent the aperture to vary its effective size.

8 Claims, 4 Diawing Figures PATENTEDUEB 51912 FIG.1

//v van/r02 BERNARD LEW A T TORA/EY WRAP-AROUND GARMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Although a great number of types and styles of wearing apparel are presently available, there is a continuing demand for novel and stylish clothing designs. Such Y garments should not only be attractive and utilitarian,

but they should also be inexpensive to manufacture and comfortable to wear. In addition, it is often desirable to provide an article of wearing apparel in which the dimensions are relatively insignificant so that it may be suitable for wear by different persons of varying body dimensions.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wrap-around garment which is novel and attractive, comfortable to wear, neat, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such a garment that is suitable for use by persons of varying body dimensions.

Another and more specific object is to provide sarong and halter-like garments having the characteristics and advantages hereinbefore mentioned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has now been found that the foregoing and relating objects can be readily attained in a wrap-around garment comprising an elongated strip of pliable material having an aperture therein disposed intermediate the ends thereof. The portion of the strip spaced to one side of the aperture is of a length sufficient to encircle the torso of the wearer at least once and to provide one end portion extending outwardly through the aperture into contact with the other end portion spaced to the opposite side of the aperture. The one end portion of the strip which extends through the aperture is releasably secured by means thereon outwardly of the aperture to provide an intermediate generally circular portion adapted to encircle the body of the wearer.

Adjustable means is provided on the strip adjacent the aperture for varying the effective size of the aperture about the one end portion extending therethrough. The intermediate portion may have the strip wrapped about itself to provide at least two plies, with one end portion secured to the end portion at the other end of the strip. The aperture may be an elongated slit and the adjustable means a zipper fastened along the edges of the slit to provide an adjustable length for the aperture. In another embodiment, the strip of material has a pocket extending substantially about the periphery of the aperture and a drawstring is partially disposed within the pocket to provide a drawstring closure for the aperture.

Most desirably, the aperture is located at substantially the midpoint of the ends of the strip and one end portion is tied to the other end portion with adjustable means closing the aperture about the end portion extending therethrough near the knot therein. To provide a sarong-like garment, the length of material may be about 7 to feet in length and about I to 3 feet in width so as to extend from the waist and cover the lower portion of the torso of the wearer. A halter-like garment may be provided when the length of material is about 7 to 10 feet in length and about 4 to 12 inches in width so as to cover the portion of the torso above the midriff of the wearer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of sarong and halter-like garments embodying the present invention as worn by a user;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the saronglike garment of FIG. I removed from the user and with the plies spaced apart to illustrate the manner in which it is wrapped about the body of the user;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sarong-like garment shown in FIG. 1, unwrapped to illustrate its construction with the adjustable means positioned to open the aperture fully; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the intermediate section of a garment embodying the present invention showing another embodiment of the aperture therein and adjustable means for closure thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS Turning now in detail to the appended drawing, FIG. 1 shows a halter-like garment and a sarong-like garment embodying the present invention as worn by a female user 10. Since the construction of both garments is essentially the same and only the dimensions thereof differ, reference hereinafter will be limited to the sarong-like garment, which consists basically of an elongated strip of pliable material, generally designated by the numeral 12. As is best seen in FIG. 3, the length of material 12 has an intermediate portion 14 and end portions 16, 18. A slit or elongated aperture 20 extends transversely within the strip of sheet material 12 adjacent the midpoint of the length thereof, and a zipper 22 is fastened to the strip adjacent the edges of the slit 20 to allow adjustment of the effective size of the aperture.

Turning now more specifically to FIG. 2, the manner in which the garment may be arranged on the body of the user 10 is illustrated. The end 16 of the inner ply thereof may be held in place against the body as the strip 12 is wrapped thereabout. After the intermediate portion 14 of the strip 12 encircles the body for the first time, the inner ply end portion 16 is drawn outwardly through the aperture 20. Thereafter, the remaining part of the intermediate portion 14 is wrapped about the body to provide a second or outer ply, and the end portion 18 of the outer ply is tied to the end 16 of the inner ply to form a knot 24 which is disposed near the aperture 20. The adjustable zipper 22 may then be used to close the aperture 20 about the inner ply end portion 16 near the knot 24 to provide a neat closure with no gaps or openings, as is illustrated in FIG. 1.

With reference now to FIG. 4, the construction is similar, and the strip of sheet material 32 has an intermediate portion 34 in which the slit 40 is located. However, rather than being disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the strip 32, as in the case of the slit 20 in the strip 14, the slit 40 is parallel thereto. In addition, a pocket 42 is provided about the periphery of the slit 40 by providing a double ply of material or other suitable means, and a drawstring 44 is partially disposed within it. It will be appreciated that pulling the drawstring 44 taut will reduce the effective size of the aperture provided by the slit 40 in a manner similar to the way in which the aperture 20 is reduced by the zipper 22 in the embodiment of FIGS. 13.

As is apparent from the foregoing, the basic element of the garment of the invention is an elongated strip of pliable material, by which is meant a material which is readily foldable and drapable, and which preferably exhibits a good band or feel for comfortable wear. The particular material is relatively unimportant, and it may be a woven or knitted fabric, a non-woven fabric, a

synthetic plastic sheet material, or any other suitable material; in some cases it will be most. desirable to utilize an absorbent fabric, such as terry cloth which is widely used for beach apparel and the like. The material may be printed with a pattern or design, or it may be ofa solid color if so desired.

One of the advantages of the invention resides in the fact that the dimensions of the length of material are not critical so that astrip of one set of dimensions is adapted to a wide variety of sizes. So long as the sheet is of sufficient width to give the degree of coverage desired and is sufficiently long to allow it to be wrapped at leas't'once about the body of the wearer and permit the end portion to pass through the aperture and be secured outwardly thereof, the specific dimensions are quite unimportant. Accordingly, it is possible to produce the strip in one length for use by adults and larger children, or it may be produced in two or three appropriate sizes. Differences in the girth of various wearers will result in variations in length of the free end portions beyond 'the point at which they may be secured;-therefore, if the girth of the wearer is small it may be desirable to employ a shorter length of material so that the free ends areof a reasonable length or a double knot may be employed to shorten the end portions hanging downwardly; v

A suitable length for the strip is about 7.to 10 feet whether it is used as a sarong or a halter-like garment; however, these lengths are based upon ideal adult female dimensions and may varyif desired; the width will depend upon the part of the body which the garment is designed tocover, and, for example,a sarong may be only l foot wide if a relatively shortgarment is desired, or it can be about 3 feet or more for a relatively long skirt. When the article is intended for use as a halter, a width of about 4 to 12 inches is normally appropriate. In addition, it is feasible to produce the gar- 'ment in a single width and to fold it to form a narrower configuration and other possibilities may occur to those skilled in the art.

It should be appreciated that although sarong and halter-like garments of a particular design have been illustrated, the same principals may be employed to produce garments of quite different design, for example, a full-length garment. Moreover, it should be understood that the garments described are not limited to those suitable for use only by women, but may also be designed for use by men and boys, e.g., as beach apparel, robes and the like. The edges of the strip of material need not be linear but may be scalloped or arcuate, and they need not be strictly parallel. Thus, a taper toward the ends may be desirable to avoid bulkiness and wrinkling at the point at which the end portions are secured, and a relatively narrow portion may be provided adjacent the inner end portion to avoid undue bulkiness where the material passes through the aperture.

The configuration of the aperture may also vary considerably, and it may be of virtually any desired geometric shape, including round, oval, etc., and a generally pear-shaped aperture may enhance appearance. Moreover,although the aperture will normally be located adjacent the midpoint in the length of the strip, it may be located more closely adjacent one end if it is desired to have end portions of different lengths, or when the intermediate portion is to encircle the body only once or more than twice. Similarly it will normally be located adjacent the midpoint of the width, but it may be varied to alter the appearance. It may also be disposed in virtually any angular relationship relative to the longitudinal axis of the strip as is suggested in FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawing.

The adjustable means allows the inner end portion of the strip of material to bereadily drawn outwardly when in the fully open position, after which the aperture can be reduced in dimension about the end portion to avoid the presence of unsightly, gaps or openings in the garment. Various means may be provided about the aperture to vary the size thereof; it may be a zipper or drawstring arrangement such as-are illustrated, or the closure means may be an elastic material, buttons and corresponding buttonholes, snaps, hooks and eyes, contact type nylon fasteners such as those sold by Velcro Corporation'of New York, New York under the trademark VELCRO, etc. Furthermore, the portion of the strip adjacent the aperture may be modified by providing a flap or the like to cover the closure means used for adjustment of the size of the aperture to further improve the appearance of the garment.

As will be apparent, the simplest manner by which the end portions of the strip can be secured is to tie them together, and this is preferred not only from the standpoint of simplicity of manufacture and use, but also because garments of this type, i.e., sarong's, are traditionally tied in such a manner. However, auxiliary fastening means may be provided to secure the ends of thesheet together and may take the form of buckles, clips, snaps, etc. Moreover, the garment may be secured by knotting only one end of the strip to prevent it from passing back through the aperture, and auxiliary elements about which the end can be tied may be used in addition, such as wooden pegs, rings, etc. Although it ispreferred that the garment be in the form of the two ply article illustrated, it will be appreciated that the invention encompasses garments in which the intermediate portion encircles the body only once, as well as those in which three or more plies are present.

Thus, it can be seen that the present invention provides a wrap-around garment that is novel and attractive, comfortable to wear, neat, and relatively simple and ineitpensive to manufacture. The dimensions of the garment are relatively insignificant, and it is suitable for wear by persons of varying body size characteristics.

The present invention specifically provides sarong and halter-like garments of great utility and attractiveness.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. A wrap-around garment comprising an elongated strip of pliable material having an aperture therein disposed intermediate the ends thereof, the portions of said strip spaced to each side of said aperture being of a length sufficient to encircle the torso of the wearer at least once and one portion to one side of said aperture providing one end portion extending outwardly through said aperture, said one end portion of said strip extending through said aperture in overlying surface relationship and into contact with the other portion of said strip spaced to the opposite side of said aperture, said one end portion including means outwardly of said aperture releasably securing said one end portion outwardly of said aperture to provide an intermediate, generally circular portion adapted to encircle the body of a wearer at least twice; and adjustable means on said strip adjacent said aperture to vary the effective size of said aperture'about said one end portion.

2. The garment of claim 1 wherein said means on said one end portion comprises releasable fasting elements releasably engaged with releasable fasting elements on said other end portion.

3. The garment of claim 1 wherein said aperture is an elongated slit, and wherein said adjustable means is a zipper fastened along the edges of said slit to provide an adjustable length for said aperture.

4. The garment of claim 1 wherein said adjustable means is provided by a pocket extending substantially about the periphery of said aperture in said strip and a drawstring partially disposed within said channel, providing a drawstring closure for said aperture.

5. The garment of claim 3 wherein said aperture is located at substantially the midpoint of the ends of said strip, and wherein said releasable securing means is provided by tying said one end portion to said other end portion with said adjustable means closing said aperture about said one end portion near the knot therein. I

6. The garment of claim 1 wherein said strip of material is about 7 to 10 feet in length and about 1 to 3 feet in width so as to be adapted to extend from the waist and cover the lower portion of the torso of the wearer to provide a sarong-like garment.

7. The garment of claim 1 wherein said strip of material is about 7 to 10 feet in length and about 4 to 12 inches in width so as to be adapted to cover the portion of the torso above the midriff of the wearer to provide a halter-like garment.

8. A wrap-around garment comprising an elongated strip of pliable material having an aperture therein disposed intermediate the ends thereof, the portions of said strip spaced to each side of said aperture being of a length sufficient to encircle the torso of the wearer at least once and one portion to one side of said aperture providing one end portion extending outwardly throughsaid aperture, said one end portion of said strip extending through said aperture, said one end portion being tied to the end portion at the other end of said strip outwardly of said aperture to provide an intermediate, generally circular portion having said strip wrapped about itself to provide a generally circular portion at least two plies and of a length adapted to encircle the body of a wearer, and adjustable zipper means on said strip adjacent said aperture to vary the effective size of said aperture'about said one end portion. 

1. A wrap-around garment comprising an elongated strip of pliable material having an aperture therein disposed intermediate the ends thereof, the portions of said strip spaced to each side of said aperture being of a length sufficient to encircle the torso of the wearer at least once and one portion to one side of said aperture providing one end portion extending outwardly through said aperture, said one end portion of said strip extending through said aperture in overlying surface relationship and into contact with the other portion of said strip spaced to the opposite side of said aperture, said one end portion including means outwardly of said aperture releasably securing said one end portion outwardly of said aperture to provide an intermediate, generally circular portion adapted to encircle the body of a wearer at least twice; and adjustable means on said strip adjacent said aperture to vary the effective size of said aperture about said one end portion.
 2. The garment of claim 1 wherein said means on said one end portion comprises releasable fasting elements releasably engaged with releasable fasting elements on said other end portion.
 3. The garment of claim 1 wherein said aperture is an elongated slit, and wherein said adjustable means is a zipper fastened along the edges of said slit to provide an adjustable length for said aperture.
 4. The garment of claim 1 wherein said adjustable means is provided by a pocket extending substantially about the periphery of said aperture in said strip and a drawstring partially disposed within said channel, providing a drawstring closure for said aperture.
 5. The garment of claim 3 wherein said aperture is located at substantially the midpoint of the ends of said strip, and wherein said releasable securing means is provided by tying said one end portion to said other end portion with said adjustable means closing said aperture about said one end portion near the knot thereiN.
 6. The garment of claim 1 wherein said strip of material is about 7 to 10 feet in length and about 1 to 3 feet in width so as to be adapted to extend from the waist and cover the lower portion of the torso of the wearer to provide a sarong-like garment.
 7. The garment of claim 1 wherein said strip of material is about 7 to 10 feet in length and about 4 to 12 inches in width so as to be adapted to cover the portion of the torso above the midriff of the wearer to provide a halter-like garment.
 8. A wrap-around garment comprising an elongated strip of pliable material having an aperture therein disposed intermediate the ends thereof, the portions of said strip spaced to each side of said aperture being of a length sufficient to encircle the torso of the wearer at least once and one portion to one side of said aperture providing one end portion extending outwardly through said aperture, said one end portion of said strip extending through said aperture, said one end portion being tied to the end portion at the other end of said strip outwardly of said aperture to provide an intermediate, generally circular portion having said strip wrapped about itself to provide a generally circular portion at least two plies and of a length adapted to encircle the body of a wearer, and adjustable zipper means on said strip adjacent said aperture to vary the effective size of said aperture about said one end portion. 